Horizontal earth boring machine



g 3 M. B. KIRK HORIZONTAL EARTH BORING MACQINE 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1950 wN GD W Q is a W N W @n An. m

ATTOQNEYS.

4, 1953 M. B. KIRK 2,647,726

HORIZONTAL EARTH BORING MACHINE Filed June so, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 2. /7

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Patented Aug. 4, 1953 2,647,726 HORIZONTAL EARTH BORING MACHINE Melvin B. Kirk, Liberal, Kama,

assignor to The Hallen Company, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y, a corporation of New York Application June 30, 1950, Serial No. 171,469

4 Claims.

The invention relates to horizontal earth boring machines and more particularly to a machine for boring tunnels under highways and structures or formations and placing culverts in such tunnels. a

It is among the objects of the invention. to provide an improved horizontal earth boring machine which is power operated to rapidly bore a substantiallyhorizontal tunnel through a body of earth and is equipped with high pressure water jets to continuously flush the earth borings from the open end of the tunnel, which is equipped with a positive, power operated feed for forcing the machine through the body of earth in which the tunnel is provided, which is adjustable in length to provide tunnels of various lengths, which forces a culvert into the tunnelas the tunnel is formed to maintain the tunnel completely open and is detachable from the culvert after the tunnel is completed to leave the culvert in the tunnel to facilitate the passage of an oil pipe line or similar structure through the tunnel or to maintain the tunnel open for drainage purposes, and which is simple, strong and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easily movable from place to place,

and positive and efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description andthe appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figures 1 and 1A together constitute a side elevational view of an earth boring machine illustrative of the invention, a portion of the machine being broken away and shown in cross section to' better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a rear end elevational view of the machine shown inoperative position. in an excavated trench;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the boring head of the machine; Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5' is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 5-4: of Figure 1A.

With continued reference to the drawings, the

-machine has a power plant assembly, generally indicated at Ill, and comprising an elongated rectangular frame it having spaced apart side members supported in substantially parallel relationship to each other by cross members connected between the side members intermediate the length thereof, an engine l2, such as an internal combustion engine, mounted on the frame ll near one end of the latter and provided with a cooling radiator i3 and enclosed in a hood M, a change speed transmission unit is extending from one end of the engine, a gear it supported on the drive shaft l1 and driven by the transmission unit [5, an engine driven water pump l3 mounted on the frame and an engine driven winch l9 mounted on the frame adjacent the engine radiator I3 and at the end of the frame remote from the gear [6.

A cable is wound at one end on the drum of the winch l9 and the speed of rotation of the winch drum is controlled by a transmission mechanism adjusted by the hand lever 2|.

The transmission mechanism i5 is a double transmission mechanism having two manually operated, speed changing handles 22 and 23 by means of which a large number of speed ratios between the engine l2 and the gear I6 can be obtained.

Two saddle plates 24 and 25 are secured to the frame H at the side of the frame remote from the engine l2 and these saddle plates extend transversely of the frame at spaced apart locations therealong, the ends of the saddle plates projecting beyond the frame and being provided with apertures for a purpose to be presently explained.

The power plant is mounted on an elongated tubular body 26, such as a culvert section, near one end of such body. The saddle plates 24 and 25 extend over the top portion of the tubular body and U-bolts 21 and 28 extend around the underportion of the body, the U-bolt 21 having its ends inserted through the apertures in the saddle plate 24 and the U-bolt 28 having its ends inserted through the apertures in the saddle plate 25 at the respectively opposite sides of the tubular body. Nuts are threaded on to the U-bolt at the upper sides of the saddle plates to firmly clamp the power plant on to the tubular body.

An elongated tubular stem 30, such as a section of tubular drill stem, extends co-axially through the tubular body 26 and projects from the opposite ends of the latter.

The portion of this shaft 30 within the tubular body or culvert section 26 is journaled in spiders, as indicated at 3|, 32 and 33 and disposed at substantially uniformly spaced apart intervals along the shaft.

Each of the spiders 3i, 32 and 33, comprises a bearing collar 33 of cylindrical form surrounding the shaft 30 and preferably provided with antifriction bearing elements 31 between its inner surface and the surface of the shaft, and tubu- 'same as the diameter of the served lar legs, as indicated at 38, 39 and 48 projecting radially from the collar 36 at equal angular intervals therearound, the spiders illustrated having three legs spaced apart at angular intervals of approximately 120 over centers. The bores of the legs 38, 39 and 48 are of polygonal, preferably rectangular cross sectional shape and plungers 4|, 42 and 43 are slidably received in the legs 38, 39 and 48 respectively. Rollers 44, 45 and 46 are journaled at the outer ends of the plungers 4|, 42 and 43 respectively and bear on the inner surface of the tubular body 26. Two of the plungers are adjustably secured in the corresponding legs and the third plunger, such as the plunger 4|, is resiliently urged outwardly of the corresponding leg 38 by a compression spring 41 disposed in the leg and interposed between the plunger and the surface of the bearing collar 36 within the hollow leg 38.

These spiders maintain the tubular shaft 38 accurately centered in the elongated tubular body 26.

A bearing collar 48 receives the shaft 38 at a location spaced from the end of the tubular body 26 on which the power plant assembly is mounted and this bearing collar 48 is rigidly secured to the frame ll of the power plant assembly by a bracket 49 connected to one end of the frame and spacedfrom the gear IS.

A gear 58, larger than the gear i6, is secured on the shaft 38 and meshes with the gear |6 so that the shaft 38 will be rotated when the gear I6 is driven by the engine |2 through the transmission mechanism l5.

A hydraulic swivel connector is mounted on the end of the shaft 38 adjacent the bearing collar 48 in communication with the bore 52 of the shaft and a tubular conduit 58 connects this swivel connector with the outlet of the water pump |8 for forcing water at high pressure into the bore of the hollow shaft. A conduit 54 leads from the intake of the pump l8 to some suitable water supply.

A boring head generally indicated at 55, is mounted on the end of the shaft 38 remote from the bearing collar 48 and is rotatable with the shaft.

This boring head comprises a cylindrical drum or sleeve 56 having a diameter substantially the tubular bod 26 and disposed substantially co-axially with the latter. The corresponding end of the shaft 36 is received in a hollow thimble 51 and spider legs 58, project from the thimble 51 at equally spaced angular intervals of approximately 120 therearound and are secured at their outer ends to the inner surface of the drum 56 to support the drum coaxially of the shaft 38.

Referring particularly to Figure 4 it will be obthat the shaft 38 is made in two parts secured together by a screw threaded connection 6| located at the end of the hollow body 26 contiguous to the drum 56 and that the short shaft portion 38' extends from the corresponding end of the main portion of the shaft through the thimble or collar 51 and is provided on its end remote from the screw thread connection 6| with a screw thread formation 62.

Two anti-friction roller bearings 63 and 64 are disposed in thimble or collar 51 at respectively opposite ends of the latter and surround a reduced end portion of the shaft section 38. These roller bearings are inclined and opposed to each other in a manner such that they are preloaded to remove the radial play between the shaft sec- 4 tion 38' and the thimble 51. The shaft section 38 may thus rotate in the drum 56 and the drum can either rotate or remain stationary depending upon the balance of the forces exerted thereon.

The boring tool 65 comprises a hollow cap portion 66 having internal screw threads which threadedly engage the thread formation 62 on the adjacent or forward end of the short shaft section 38 and angularly spaced apart blades 61, 68 and 69 which project radially from the cap 66 at substantially equal angular intervals of 120 therearound. Each of the blades of the cutting tool or bit has a substantially straight cutting edge 18 thereon inclined at an angle to a true radius of the cap 66 and has a vane 1| extending from the cutting edge into the adjacent end of the drum 56 and inclined longitudinally of the drum to move earth dislodged by the cutting edge 18 of the blade rearwardly throughthe drum or sleeve 56.

At its end remote from the shaft section 30', which is its front end, the cap 66 is provided with a centrally located, screw threaded recess and a centering screw 12 is threaded at one end into this recess and projects from the front end of the cap.

The shaft section 38' has an axial bore 52 concentric with the bore 52 of the main shaft portion 38 and the cap is provided with passages, as indicated at 13, each of which leads from the forward end of the bore 52' into a corresponding vane H and thence through an opening in the side of the vane. There is a corresponding passage for each of the vanes 61, 6B and 69 so that water is supplied to the cutting bit to convert the earth dislodged by this bit to mud for easy movement rearwardly through the drum 56 and the tubular body 26 to and out of the rear end of the tubular body.

At its end remote from the adjacent end of the tubular body 26 the drum 56 is provided with a small. outwardly projecting annular flange 14 and the cutting edges 18 of the vanes project at their outer ends to the outer edge of this flange so that the tunnel provided by the cutting bit is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the culvert section 26 to facilitate movement of the culvert section through the tunnel provided by the boring head of the machine. Radially extending braces 15, 16 and 11 are connected between the cap 66 and the cutting blades 61, 68 and 69 respectively to reinforce the connections between these blades and the cap portion of the bit.

Auger sections, as indicated at 88, 8| and 82 in Figures 1 and 1A surround the tubular shaft 38 at spaced apart locations therealong. Each of these auger sections preferably makes one complete turn around the shaft and is disposed between two adjacent shaft supporting spiders. Water jets 83, 84 and 85 project from the shaft one near the front end of each of the auger sections and. these jets are inclined rearwardly toward the end of the shaft on which the gear 58 is secured. Each of these water jets communicates with the bore 52 of the shaft and is thereby supplied with water under high pressure from the water pump I8.

As the earth is cut by the bit 65 and softened by the water flowing through the blades of this bit, it is forced rearwardly through the drum 56 of the boring head and is then flushed rearwardly along the tubular body 26 by the water jets 83, 84 and 85, rearward movement of the mud produced by the mixture ofearth and water being facilitated by'the auger sectionsil-ll, 8! and 82. While only three water jets have'been illustrated, it is to be understood that this number may be varied to obtain the desired result without many way exceeding'the scope of the invention.

In order to place the machine in operation, a trench or excavation is first prepared and its bottom made substantially horizontal at the level of the bottom of the desired tunnel. The machine is then lowered into this trench and the cable 28 is reeled oil of the winch l9 and the end of the cable remote from the winch is secured to a fixed object, such as the stake or deadman 86, secured in the ground ahead of the boring machine. The object'BB i-s'displaced to one side of the machine so that the torque developed by the machine will be balanced by the angular position of the cable. With the power plant in operation the transmission unit is then connected by the hand levers 22 and 23 to provide the desired speed of rotation of the shaft 38; and the boring head 55 and the winch I9 is then placed in operation by the hand lever 5| to reel in the cable and force the machine with the hollow body or culvert section 26 attached thereto into the earth at the end of the trench into which the machine has been lowered.

A trench or excavation is provided at the location of the desired opposite end of the tunnel,

and, when the boring head and adjacent end of the culvert section reaches this last mentioned trench, the power plant assembly is removed from the culvert section by releasing the U-bolts 2'! and 28, the conduit 53 is disconnected from the swivel connector 3| and the shaft with the boring head 55 thereon is then pulled out of the culvert, this operation being facilitated by the rollers on the shaft supporting spiders which rollers run along the inner surface of the culvert section.

When it is desired to bore another tunnel, the power plant is first assembled with a culvert section in the manner indicated above, the shaft 30 is inserted through the culvert section until the adjacent ends of the culvert section and the drum 56 of the boring head are substantially in contact whereupon the gear 50 will mesh with the gear 16. The conduit 53 is then connected to the swivel connector 5|, the machine lowered into a trench and operation initiated in the above described manner.

It is to be noted that the bearings 63 and 64 serve as thrusts, as well as radial bearings and transmit the thrust on the cutting bit 65 through the spider legs 58, 59 and 60 to the drum or sleeve 56 and from this drum to the adjacent end of the tubular body or culvert section 26.

The length of the culvert sections used and the length of the tubular shaft 30 can be varied as may be necessary to provide tunnels of different lengths, and it is also possible to insert two or more culvert sections successively into a tunnel by use of the above described earth boring machine. The speed of operation of the cutting bit and of the Winch l9 can both be varied to condition the operation of the machine to the texture of the substance through which the tunnel is driven and the tunnel will be maintained straight by the rigid nature of the culvert section on which the machine is mounted.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, is, therefore, to be considered in all 6. respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is-claimed is:

1. A horizontal earth boring machine comprising a power plant assembly including an elongated frame, an engine mounted on said frame, a change speed transmission unit driven by said engine, a gear driven by said transmission unit, an engine driven water pump and an engine driven winch mounted on said frame, a culvert section detachably secured to said power plant frame and projecting from one end of the latter, a tubular shaft extending through said conduit section, supporting spiders on said shaft at spaced apart; locations therealong engaging the inner surface of said conduit section to maintain said shaft centered in the latter, a gear on one end of said shaft meshing with said transmission driven gear for rotating said shaft, a boring head on the other end of said shaft disposed contiguous to the adjacent end of said culvert section, conduit means connecting said water pump to the bore of said tubular shaft at said one end of the latter, water jet nozzles on said shaft at spaced apart locations therealong inclined toward said one, end of the shaft for flushing earth through said culvert section from said boring head, auger sections on said shaft at spaced apart locations therealong, and a cable wound at one end on said winch and connectable at its other end to a fixed object to feed said boring machine into a tunnel as said Winch is driven by said engine.

2. A horizontal earth boring machine comprising an elongated tubular section, a power plant assembly detachably mounted on said tubular section at one end of the latter and including a water pump, a boring head disposed at the other end of said tubular section and having water passages therein, a tubular shaft extending through said tubular section and connected at one end to said boring head with its bore in communication with the water passages in said head, means slidably received in said tubular section supporting said tubular shaft for rotation in said tubular section, means providing a, driving connection between said power plant and said shaft at the other end of the latter, means including a swivel connector constituting a hydraulic connection between said water pump and said other end of the shaft, nozzles projecting from said shaft at spaced apart locations therealong and communicating with said shaft bore, and auger sections on said shaft at spaced apart locations therealong and having an effective diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of said tubular section.

3. A horizontal earth boring machine comprising an elongated tubular member, a power plant assembly detachably secured to said tubular member at one end of the latter, a boring head disposed at the other end ofsaid tubular member, a shaft extending through said tubular member and connected at one end to said boring head, means supporting said shaft in said tubular member for rotation of said shaft, and means providing a driving connection between said power plant and said shaft at the other end of the latter, said boring head comprising a, cylindrical drum having an outside diameter substantially the same as the outside diameter of said tubular section and an outwardly projecting annular flange at the end thereof remote from said tubular section, a spider secured in said drum and including a centrally disposed bearing collar, a shaft section journaled in said bearing collar, and a bit detachably secured on said shaft section at the flanged end of said drum and including a hollow cup receiving the adjacent end of said shaft section and angularly spaced apart blades projecting radially from said cup and joined at their inner ends to said drum at the flanged end of the latter for simultaneous rotation of said blade and said drum.

4. A horizontal earth boring machine comprising an elongated tubular section, a power plant assembly detachably mounted on said tubular section at one end of the latter and including a water pump, a boring head disposed at the other end of Said tubular section and having water passages therein, a tubular shaft extending through said tubular section and connected at one end to said boring head with its bore in communication with the water passages in said head, means slidably received in said tubular section supporting said tubular shaft for rotation in said tubular section, means providing a driving connection between said power plant and said shaft at the other end of the latter, and means including a swivel connector constituting a hydraulic connection between said water pump and said other end of the shaft, said means slidably received in said tubular section and, supporting said shaft therein comprising spiders spaced apart longitudinally of said shaft and each including a bearing collar rotatably receiving said shaft, tubular legs projecting radially from said bearing collar at substantially equal angular intervals therearound, plungers slidably disposed one in each of said legs and projecting from the outer ends of the latter, and rollers journaled one on each of said plungers at the outer ends of the latter and bearing against the inner surface of said tubular section to facilitate movement of said shaft through said tubular section.

MELVIN B. KIRK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 3 Date 1,182,134 B-ignell May 9, 1916 1,699,936 Watchorn Jan. 22, 1929 1,881,101 Spaulding Oct. 4, 1932 1,993,366 Englebright Mar. 5, 1935 2,165,666 Tilly July 11, 1939 2,211,223 Woods Aug. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 201,368 Germany Sept. 8, 1908 17,231 Great Britain Mar. 27, 1919 

